Catching My Breath
by jennibare
Summary: My entry for Ursa-Ozai week 2009. It's a drabble about the crown prince and his first meeting of his future wife.


**Here's my entry for UrsaxOzai week. Yea! My very first entry ever. It's a drabble. My own take why Ozai never went to war as all the other men had. And his first meeting of Ursa.  
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I roam through the halls of my home, hands in my robes, kicking at random tiles as I walk. I'm frustrated and bored out of my mind. I'm done with training for the day and I don't have my tutoring for another hour. Yet another stupid, boring day. As usual.

My attendant announced to me this morning that my older brother would be arriving tomorrow. He had been fighting in some far off place in some battle to show the greatness of our nation.

He was lucky. I wish I could go off to war, but Father says I can't. I'm 18. I'm certainly old enough. But I know it's my lungs that prevent me from being able to go and it makes me furious. I don't care what they say. I can fight!

Then I hear the commotion in the main hall. My brother must have arrived early. I walk quickly (I want to run but I won't be able to breathe if I do) to see my older brother walking arm in arm with his wife. Glancing around, I wonder where my nephew is. It seems odd to me that my own nephew is older than me but that happens when you are the accidental child. Or so the servants have said behind my back thinking I didn't hear them. I'd have to be an idiot not to hear what they said about me. The weakling son. Would be better at bending if only he wasn't so weak. It was his fault Lady Ilah died. She had been too old to have children. She should have ended it before it killed her. Instead we lost the Lady and was left with the child who can hardly breathe.

Thinking of this gets me mad again. But then I notice behind where my brother and his wife are being waited on by the servants. Standing there is the most gorgeous girl in the world. My breath catches in my chest. At first I think it is a spell, but then I realize that it is the spell she has cast on me. Her eyes are bright gold. Her smile is like the sun. Her creamy skin is perfect. Her black hair glistens in the sun that pours through the windows.

My brother calls out to me, "Ozai! My brother! Come. Don't be shy."

I walk to them. I am nervous and slightly embarrassed but I hide it well. I bow respectively to him and to his wife, greeting them with the courtesy the second son is supposed to show the first born and his wife.

"Ozai, this is my wife's niece, Ursa," Iroh explains as he introduces us.

I catch her eyes and she smiles chastely and bows in respect to me. I bow to her. I rise, she rises a moment later and I look into her beautiful golden eyes. There is something so gentle and soft about her that I want her. Everyone, everything in the room disappears. I hear faint voices in the background. My brother talking, "She is here to visit for a week until-"

But I hear none of it. All I see is her.

Ursa. Such a beautiful name. Such a beautiful girl.

Suddenly I truly can't breathe.

Stupid lungs! Making me look like a weakling in front of this girl. Figures.

As I put my hand on my chest, wheezing uncontrollably gasping for air, I feel a soft hand over mine. I look up and see the genuine concern in her eyes as she helps me to sit in the chair that had been brought. She tells me to be calm as she brings a vial of honey she grabbed from the servant to my nose. "Breathe," she orders me gently. I gaze into her eyes as she gazes into mine. I breathe in the honey's scent and I feel my lungs slowly relax.

"Are you better?" she asks with such tenderness I almost want to cry. It had been so long since anyone showed true concern for me.

I only nod weakly. "Thank you," I whisper so softly so no one will hear the crown prince thanking this girl. I smile to her as she smiles at me. She is still holding my hand. She gives a slight squeeze. That smile, that touch sends me in a spiral. I think I've fallen for her.

Princess Ursa, wife of Prince Ozai. I think I like the sound of that.

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**See… drabble. I like to think that Ozai couldn't go off to war because of health issues. And asthma seemed perfect. Yes honey is a natural asthma remedy. Ursa is such a compassionate person I can totally see her helping him during an attack. I know Ozai seems very OOC but I imagine this is the start of his anger and his thoughts of weakness given his own. **

**It's not my best work, I admit, but I hope you enjoyed it at least a little bit. Please let me know what you think.  
**


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